Cloud Computing For The Media Industry & OTT Platforms: How Does It Work?

6 min readJan 2, 2023

Cloud computing can offer countless benefits for a business of any size. In the past, developers and testers used it for software creation, disaster recovery, and more. Cloud computing has been an industry trend globally.

Different industries worldwide are now recognizing the importance of cloud technology. The cloud is prevalent in many automotive, retail, healthcare, and agricultural sectors. This tech helps businesses be more flexible and scalable without spending too much money.

The demand for cloud computing in media and entertainment has been increasing because it is commonly used. When you pull up a music video on YouTube, watch a movie on Netflix, or listen to an album on Spotify, you’re likely using the cloud to stream content.

People’s demand for quick entertainment to be always available anywhere, anytime is increasing. This is why media and entertainment companies worldwide are moving to the cloud. It provides them with fast, reliable digital delivery of content.

Over-the-top (OTT) streaming services allow media companies to provide content directly to customers over the internet, eliminating the need for a system operator. As media continues to evolve and internet distribution opportunities multiply, it makes sense that companies take advantage of current technology to reach more people with their content. The media cloud helps older and newer broadcasters reach consumers across any device.

Cloud Technology For Media Streaming

We live in a digital world where the linear television system that involves traditional broadcasting is outdated. People now prefer OTT platforms that give them the liberty to watch their favorite content anytime and anywhere.

Media and entertainment companies must keep up with customers’ demands and expectations. They must stay loyal to these customers and give them more of what they want. The need for cloud computing in the media and entertainment industry is increasing exponentially.

What Is Media Streaming?

Before we discuss the role of the cloud in streaming media & media streaming services, let’s first discuss how it can work as a storage system for your company.

Streaming media is multimedia that users can access straight from their internet-connected device (smartphone, laptop, television) without downloading or saving the content. This offers people the ability to enjoy their media content on-demand and instantly. A user can pause, rewind, or fast-forward an on-demand video and audio file just like they could with a downloaded media file.

Another term related to streaming media is OTT (over-the-top) service. OTT is any streaming service that provides internet media content. Some examples are Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify.

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How Does Cloud Computing Help The OTT Platforms & Online Media Streaming?

OTT services involve formatting several video files for delivery to any device with an internet connection. OTT broadcasting or streaming involves complex workflows and requires robust infrastructure.

No system is perfect, and on-premise models are no exception. Unlike cloud-based streaming, users of on-premise systems often experience higher interruptions in service. On-premises OTT streaming services require a lot of effort and are very expensive.

The cloud offers a convenient way to stream content across devices and from various sources. With the right technologies, you can focus on what’s essential and leave the technical stuff to the experts.

Cloud technology has become an essential tool for many businesses. The versatility of the cloud means it can be the perfect solution to all your needs.

The scalability, flexibility, and other advanced features make it easy to have a stable and scalable infrastructure. The result? Customers can enjoy a high-quality video without the inconvenience of the video cutting out or slowing down. Cloud computing reduces the time it takes to stream videos to produce a more user-friendly experience.

The media and entertainment industry can use cloud computing in various ways. These include streaming, audio recording, asset management, archive storage, and much more.

Cloud Video Streaming

A cloud video streaming solution involves streaming your videos from the cloud to your viewers. Servers store videos in the cloud and forward them out when needed.

Several key features of the best cloud services for video streaming and best cloud storage for streaming video include:

Efficient Video Hosting: You only need to subscribe to a streaming service that allows you to watch content anytime.
Live Video Streaming To Cloud Storage: Cloud service for video streaming allows you to record, store and watch videos from the cloud.
Cloud Video Encoding: Cloud media encoding is useful for live video streaming. This is done by converting a video file from its current format to a different one to be more easily stored and then played back later.
Cloud Video Transcoding: This enables you to prepare your videos to be delivered on the web. Transcoding is the process of creating several versions of the same video. Each version is created with a different size and quality.

Use Case: Netflix

Netflix is an example of a cloud-based streaming OTT provider. Netflix consumes a large amount of data which it processes through a Cloud Media Player and a Cloud-based Media Server. These services include streaming, transcoding, video processing, and much more. You’ve seen some cloud video streaming sites, like Hulu and YouTube.

Cloud Based Audio Streaming

Stream audio to your device from the cloud with music services like Apple Music and Spotify. These apps allow you to listen anytime and enjoy a large library of high-quality songs. Some cloud-based music streaming services also provide cloud storage for audio files so you can upload your recordings remotely or record them.

Use Case: Spotify

A great example of a cloud-based music streaming service is Spotify. It allows you to listen to music as an audio player, streamed over the internet, and stored in “a cloud.” Spotify is also great for storing your playlists and songs so that you can listen to them again later. Offline mode is excellent for those who like to use public transport!

Cloud Media Processing

Media editing usually involves video and audio, which are processed to create different versions of media. The purpose of audio, video and image processing is to convert these files into formats that are most suitable for their intended use.

Advantages Of Cloud Hosting For the Entertainment Industry & OTT Platforms

Faster Time To Market

Media companies can choose from several video streaming services that are customized to their requirements, such as video storage and streaming in the cloud. This process gives you an edge because media cloud computing is there to help deliver content to your users more quickly and efficiently.

Cost Reduction

Several costs are associated with on-premises equipment, like purchasing and maintaining hardware, power consumption, updating/replacing equipment, etc. Cloud media services are a great way of providing employees with video, music, and other digital resources.

They can all be accessed from the cloud rather than downloading or purchasing them locally. Plus, the provider is responsible for any licenses, and there’s no need to worry about transferring and uploading. Cloud services are based on a pay-per-use model, which minimizes the cost.

Scalability

Cloud computing provides media companies with on-demand and flexible capabilities. This allows them to scale up/down depending on their needs. For example, when media broadcasters need larger resources, they can use the power of Cloud Computing. A CPU and Local Network often cannot satisfy the needs of this industry so scaling up is necessary. Businesses can work more efficiently and quickly to fulfill customer demands.

Low Latency

On-premise servers are located on the media company’s premises, while cloud media servers can be anywhere in the world. This way, cloud-based content providers can deliver media that streams to viewers using the closest best server, which reduces latency and improves user experience.

The Perfect Cloud Storage For That: MilesWeb’s Cloud Hosting

MilesWeb’s cloud hosting platform enables businesses in any media and entertainment industry segment to deliver content with lightning speed and scale to their heart’s desire. MilesWeb’s ability to connect to data centers worldwide enables low latency while delivering media content, which is optimal for customers who want to stream their favorite content online!

Media companies can build their infrastructure when they want to branch out. MilesWeb’s cloud hosting takes care of all instances of server needs without a company needing to worry about the technical specifics. Their business is fully scalable, and they can deliver to customers worldwide!

Speed and security are the two most important elements for the media and entertainment industry. MilesWeb’s cloud hosting is the ideal platform for businesses that aim to achieve exponential growth